South Korean ex-president Lee Myung-bak ‘sorry’ as he faces interrogation over bribery claims

2018-03-14 03:36:38

Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak reported to prosecutors for questioning in a corruption probe Wednesday, apologising for the controversy.

Allegations of corruption involving the 76-year-old’s relations and aides throughout his 2008-2013 presidential time period have mounted in current weeks as prosecutors examine a number of instances of bribery amounting to hundreds of thousands of .

The investigation into Lee means all 4 residing former South Korean presidents have been convicted, charged, or embroiled in felony inquiries.

“I stand right here with a heavy coronary heart,” Lee mentioned as he arrived on the prosecutors’ workplace in Seoul, after a automobile journey from his house within the south of the capital lined stay on tv.

“I’m very sorry for inflicting concern to the individuals,” he informed reporters, including that South Koreans’ livelihoods had been “tough” and the safety scenario on the Korean peninsula was “dire”.

Lee, accompanied by his defence lawyer, was obtained by a senior prosecutor and given tea earlier than being ushered into room 1001, the identical place his successor and ousted former president Park Geun-hye underwent marathon questioning.

He was to be interrogated by three prosecutors and Yonhap information company mentioned the questioning – which shall be videotaped – was anticipated to final round 20 hours, with prosecutors having ready round 120 pages of questions regarding some 20 alleged offences.

“We’ll deal with the previous president with dignity however we’ll conduct a via and clear probe,” a senior prosecutor informed journalists.

Lee is anticipated to return house after the questioning, however prosecutors are thought more likely to then ask a courtroom for an arrest warrant.

Two of Lee’s former aides have been arrested as a part of the investigation and the properties and workplaces of his brothers raided.

He has beforehand denounced the inquiry as “political revenge” and mentioned Wednesday he hoped it will be the “final time in historical past” former South Korean head of state was summoned for questioning by prosecutors.

“As a former president, I’ve lots to say about this however I’ll spare my phrases,” he mentioned.

South Korean presidents tend to finish up in jail – or meet premature ends – after their time in energy, often as soon as their political rivals have moved into the presidential Blue Home.

Park was ousted final 12 months over a large corruption scandal that emerged in 2016, and the decision in her bribery and abuse of energy trial is due subsequent month, with prosecutors demanding 30 years in jail.

Lee’s personal predecessor, the liberal Roh Moo-hyun, dedicated suicide by leaping off a cliff after being questioned over corruption allegations in 2009.

After the South embraced democracy within the 1990s former dictator Chun Doo-hwan and his buddy and successor Roh Tae-woo had been handed dying sentences for his or her involvement in a 1979 army coup and for receiving lots of of hundreds of thousands of in bribes from companies.

Their sentences had been later commuted to life in jail, and so they had been finally pardoned and launched after serving about two years every.

SAN FRANCISCO: Fb’s chief of safety stated late Monday (Mar 19) his position has shifted to specializing in rising dangers and election safety on the world social community, which is beneath fireplace for letting its platform be used to unfold bogus information and manipulate voters.

Alex Stamos introduced the change in his work position after The New York Occasions reported he was leaving Fb within the wake of inside clashes over tips on how to take care of Russian actors utilizing the platform to unfold false or exaggerated tales to trigger division amongst US voters.

“Regardless of the rumors, I am nonetheless totally engaged with my work at Fb,” Stamos stated in a message posted at his verified Twitter account.

“It is true that my position did change. I am presently spending extra time exploring rising safety dangers and dealing on election safety.”

Regardless of the rumors, I am nonetheless totally engaged with my work at Fb. It is true that my position did change. I am presently spending extra time exploring rising safety dangers and dealing on election safety.

Stamos advocated investigating and revealing manipulation of stories on the social community by Russian entities, to the chagrin of chief working officer Sheryl Sandberg and different high executives, the Occasions reported, citing unnamed present and former staff.

The Occasions stated Stamos had determined in December he was completed with Fb, however remained on the social community as a part of a plan to easily hand his job off to a successor.

CommercialCommercial

Neither Fb nor Stamos immediately commented on how lengthy he meant to stay on the firm, referring to his tweet in response to queries.

The California-based social media big is dealing with an onslaught of criticism at residence and overseas over revelations that a agency working for Donald Trump’s presidential marketing campaign harvested and misused information on 50 million members.

The British information evaluation firm, employed by the 2016 Trump marketing campaign, stated the supply of the accusations – which it known as a “former contractor” – was “misrepresenting himself and the corporate”.

“This Fb information was not utilized by Cambridge Analytica as a part of the providers it supplied to the Donald Trump presidential marketing campaign; personality-targeted promoting was not carried out for this consumer both,” it stated in an announcement.

CAMERA ON CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA

Requires investigations got here on each side of the Atlantic after Fb responded to the explosive studies of misuse of its information by suspending the account of Cambridge Analytica.

Vera Jourova, the European commissioner for justice, shoppers and gender equality, known as the revelations “horrifying, if confirmed,” and vowed to handle considerations in the US this week.

In accordance with a joint investigation by the Occasions and Britain’s Observer, Cambridge Analytica was in a position to create psychological profiles on 50 million Fb customers by way of a character prediction app downloaded by 270,000 individuals, but in addition scooped up information from pals.

Fb stated it had employed a digital forensics agency to look at how the information leak occurred and to make sure that any information collected had been destroyed.

An undercover investigation of Cambridge Analytica by Britain’s Channel four discovered executives boasted they might entrap politicians in compromising conditions with bribes and Ukrainian intercourse employees, and unfold misinformation on-line.

The executives claimed to have labored in additional 200 elections the world over, together with Argentina, the Czech Republic, India, Kenya and Nigeria.

The British agency stated it “strongly denies” the claims from Channel four in addition to studies on misuse of Fb information.

Fb shares skidded 6.eight per cent by the shut of the Nasdaq amid considerations about strain for brand new laws that would harm its enterprise mannequin.

SYDNEY: Meals large Heinz’s misled shoppers in regards to the well being worth of Little Children Shredz merchandise for toddlers, an Australian courtroom dominated Monday (Mar 19), including that the US agency ought to have been conscious the claims had been misleading.

The Australian Competitors and Shopper Fee took Heinz to courtroom in 2016, saying pictures and statements on Shredz merchandise, which comprise fruit pastes, purees and focus, indicated they had been wholesome and nutritious for younger kids.

The nationwide shopper watchdog mentioned such claims had been deceptive because the merchandise comprise greater than 60 per cent sugar, considerably larger than fruit and greens, with the Federal Courtroom agreeing.

“Heinz … represented that (they had been) helpful to the well being of youngsters aged 1-Three years when by purpose of their excessive sugar content material and sticky texture, the merchandise weren’t helpful,” Justice Richard White mentioned in his judgment.

He discovered that Heinz had “engaged in conduct which was deceptive or misleading or more likely to mislead or deceive in contravention” of Australian Shopper Regulation.

“I’m glad that every of the Heinz nutritionists should have identified that a illustration that a product containing roughly two-thirds sugar was helpful to the well being of youngsters aged one to a few years was deceptive,” he added.

CommercialCommercial

The choose rejected one other ACCC assertion that Heinz had claimed the merchandise had been of an “equal dietary worth” to fruit and greens and would encourage the event of wholesome consuming habits for youngsters aged one to a few”.

The ACCC welcomed the courtroom’s determination and mentioned it confirmed there have been “critical penalties” to creating false or deceptive claims in regards to the well being advantages of merchandise.

A date for a listening to on penalties and different orders sought by the ACCC has but to be set by the courtroom.

The World Well being Organisation recommends limiting the consumption of meals containing fruit juice focus to scale back the danger of weight problems and tooth decay.

Related

Sick air travellers principally more likely to infect subsequent row: Research – NEWPAPER24

Published

2 hours ago

on

March 20, 2018

By

Sick air travellers principally more likely to infect subsequent row: Research

2018-03-19 23:52:04

MIAMI: Individuals who fly on airplanes whereas contagious can certainly get different individuals sick, however the danger is especially to these seated subsequent to them or within the adjoining row, US researchers stated Monday.

The research within the Proceedings of the Nationwide Academy of Sciences (PNAS) is the primary to quantify the percentages of getting sick primarily based on a passenger’s proximity to an infectious individual.

Researchers studied 10 transcontinental flights and meticulously tracked passenger actions to estimate the chance of frequent respiratory infections like extreme acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and influenza, that are unfold by tiny droplets within the air and on surfaces.

“Passengers seated inside one row and inside two seats laterally of the contaminated passenger had an 80 per cent or higher chance of changing into contaminated,” stated the research.

“For all different passengers, the chance of an infection was lower than three per cent.”

“Thus, it’s crucial that flight attendants not fly when they’re sick,” stated the research led by researchers at Emory College and the Georgia Institute of Expertise.

The excellent news is that public well being tips usually go even additional, urging these seated inside two rows of an contaminated passenger to bear surveillance for sure contagious ailments.

“The authors’ mannequin argues that it requires you to be nearer than beforehand reported – inside one row and two seats of an contaminated passenger – versus two rows concerning best danger of changing into sick on an airplane,” stated Lenox Hill Hospital emergency doctor Robert Glatter, who was not concerned within the research.

“However the danger was considerably much less in case you have been seated past two rows of an contaminated one that was coughing or sneezing. This runs counter to conventional considering that if an individual coughs or sneezes anyplace within the cabin, they’ll infect the complete aircraft.”

PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN

The research, which was performed throughout flu season, reported just one individual actively coughing, “which is usually not the expertise of the flying public”, Glatter added.

Swabs for respiratory viruses on tray tables and seatbelts additionally confirmed no hint of viruses, suggesting that the majority sickness is unfold by sneezing and coughing, not droplets that fall on surfaces or the bottom.

“Meticulous consideration at hand washing, or utilizing hand sanitizer stay necessary methods to scale back your danger of changing into sick throughout air journey,” stated Glatter.

Travelling whereas contagious is “an necessary public well being concern” provided that three billion passengers per yr journey by air, stated the report.

In 2014, a girl who was contaminated with Ebola flew from Cleveland to Dallas the night time earlier than she was hospitalised.

Her journey raised alarm concerning the prospect of a public well being emergency, however fortunately, nobody was contaminated.

Based on Michael Grosso, chair of paediatrics at Northwell Well being’s Huntington Hospital in Huntington, New York, the research helps make clear what has lengthy been rumoured.

“I feel everybody is aware of that travellers usually expertise the onset of a chilly inside a few days after flying they usually naturally join the 2,” he stated.

“The unhealthy information is that journey web sites haven’t any choice which says, ‘click on right here to discover a seat at the least three away from an influenza sufferer.'”

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.